The sentencing of 5 Tamil fishermen to death by a Sri Lankan court for alleged drug trafficking warrants an immediate and energetic response from our Ministry of External Affairs. Though the fisherman have until mid November to appeal the verdict in a higher court(and are in no immediate danger of being executed), the MEA must ensure that they get the best legal counsel and support possible. Also, diplomatic channels must also be activated to bring pressure to bear on the Sri Lankan Government to ensure that no injustice is being done. I am told that the Indian Government believes that these fishermen may not be guilty of the offense they have been charged with. If this is the case then their efforts need to be even more vigorous. The Govt. of India must also not be distracted by the political parties in Tamil Nadu especially the fringe elements and smaller parties that by their acts of arson and empty threats may actually end up harming the fishermens cause. If any political party wants to protest it should go to Delhi and force the GOI to act. Burning buses, dismantling rail tracks and indulging in other acts of arson in Ramanathapuram or other parts of Tamil Nadu is not going to help in the least. This is not an issue to score political points in TN. Can we see all political parties in TN get together and lead an all party delegation to meet the PM and press this issue in a unified manner at the earliest? These are Indias fisherman as much as they are Tamil fishermen. It is the duty of the Govt. of India to act now. .
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:17:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015